A cruise ship, the MSC Opera, has been denied entry to Malta after doctors threatened industrial action over coronavirus concerns. The vessel, carrying 2,302 passengers and crew, was rerouted to avoid 'unnecessary public unrest,' according to its operator.
The Maltese government attributed the decision to 'public alarm raised by misleading information' from an unnamed local media outlet, stressing that there were no confirmed cases of Covid-19 on board. Both the government and MSC Cruises agreed to redirect the ship to Messina, Italy.
An Austrian passenger who disembarked in Genoa on 28 February later tested positive for the virus. MSC Cruises stated that the passenger was diagnosed two days after returning to Austria via northern Italy. The ship had since sailed to Greece, where health officials inspected it in Piraeus and Corfu and allowed it to continue.
Martin Balzan, president of the Medical Association of Malta (MAM), warned that Malta lacked resources to handle a potential outbreak on the ship. He told TV Malta that allowing passengers ashore would be 'highly irresponsible' and that MAM would call for industrial action to protect patients and the public.
The incident follows the Diamond Princess outbreak in Japan, where 621 people were infected and six died during quarantine last month.
